“Christian” response to error
There has been so much derision directed at Harold Camping that I found this response to be refreshing.
I’m not someone who believed the world would end on Saturday. And as has been repeated many, many times by everyone from seminary presidents to Twitter and Facebook posts, such predictions are out of place with Jesus’ teaching that no one knows the day or hour.
But the “Christian” response to Harold Camping has been troubling to me — at least, some strains of it. He was wrong. Why would Christians pile on with the gleeful sarcasm of the rest of the world? Aren’t we supposed to be brothers and sisters?
I had this thought: the early church believed Christ’s return was imminent. I mean, they thought Christ would be returning, literally, any day. I’m sure this was one of many ways they looked pretty weird to the surrounding culture, who coined the expressions “The Way” and “Christian” as pejoratives. Did any of them make numerological predictions? I don’t know, but I do think their belief probably helped strengthen them for the persecution they endured. And let’s face it, they were in every way more vital spiritually than the average modern day American Christian.
I have this thought as well: I think the church in America is probably equally wrong, and perhaps more insidiously so, about a lot of things that aren’t proclaimed so prominently in the headlines as this weekend’s unfortunate gaffe. Systemic things, things we don’t even think about in our business as usual.
But above all we are wrong to respond with sarcasm and intellectual snobbery when a follower of Christ makes a highly visible mistake. We’re so quick to take the opportunity to point out doctrinal incorrectness. But we need to be much more energetic about taking the opportunity to show compassion and love, and to pray for Mr. Camping and his followers.
18 Comments
Susan
YES – and thank you for putting words to this. At church Sunday, my pastor was joking about us still being there, etc. Somehow the joking about it rubs me the wrong way – like we’re the better Christians because he was wrong, etc. You nailed it in that next-to-last para. about the church in America being equally wrong on a whole slew of things that aren’t proclaimed so prominently. Preach it, sister!
Barbara H.
Well, there is a difference between an unfortunate mistake, even one that seems totally incongruous for anyone who knows much of anything about the New Testament to make, and a false prophet. I don’t know which one Camping is — I haven’t looked up his teaching or even heard of him until last week. Some post somewhere had the line that he should be glad we’re not living in the days of Deuteronomy when false prophets were dealt with quite harshly.
But whatever he is, you’re right, sarcasm and ridicule is not the right response, and we should be particularly gentle and open with his followers lest their disillusionment cause them to turn away from Christ completely.
And we should spend more time scrutinizing our own faults, individually and as a church, than in ridiculing others.
I was somewhat dismayed that my billboard photo was taken as a joke when the point I meant to make was in the verses that followed that showed we should be ready to meet Him whenever He comes, not by quitting jobs and selling homes and waiting on hilltops, but by purifying ourselves, as I John 3 says.
Amy @ Hope Is the Word
Thanks so much for this beautiful post! I never liked it when Christians responded to this with sarcasm, either. Although I know that “no man knows the day or the hour,” the criticism seemed awfully close to disbelief that it would/could ever happen. I shared this on FB. I hope you don’t mind–I figured you wouldn’t since you have that media sharing button. :-)
Sheila
I agree. It is sad to see Christians reacting with the same level of sarcasm and derision as non-Christians.
Mouseprints
Good post!
It’s a sad and ugly side of those those who profess to being at one with Christ, but not surprising to me. Just look at the way Christians treat other Christians. I’ve seen, time and again, both on the internet and in real life, Christians commonly despising and deriding other Christians for not being Christian enough or not being Christian in the “right way”.
Jess
This is such a good point, and one that I have not heard anyone say. I found the responses uncomfortable, too. I didn’t think that his prediction would be fulfilled on Saturday, but I do hope for Christ’s return . . . in whatever way that is going to happen . . . and so I couldn’t help feeling a little sorrow and a new longing for that day.
Carrie, Reading to Know
I rather disagree. The Word of God is perfect and is supposed to divide truth from untruth. I think instead of feeling “bad” or wanting to make sure people are feeling “good” we should be making sure people understand the truth that exists in scripture. Camping SHOULD be embarrassed – as should anyone who either fails to read the scriptures or ignores what it says. The Bible will correctly identify the fools and occasionally expose them to us. When that happens, we should not be embarrassed that God’s Word was living and active, but we should stand by it and try to make sure as many people understand the truth as possible so as to avoid these same mistakes. Which, btw, they are making again:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110524/ap_on_re_us/us_apocalypse_saturday
Janet
Yes, I’ve read that this is the second time for Camping to be mistaken about the coming of Christ.
All I can say is that there is a difference between the Word of God clarifying (and convicting), and the sarcasm of the image-conscious. It’s not a question of whether the truth should be spoken; it should. It’s a question of how.
The woman caught in adultery was in error, but Jesus set an example of how to let the truth stand with love.
Cassandra
I agree with you to a certain extent but I also agree with Carrie. I think we have a responsibility to call error what it rightfully is but we need to do it with love.
“…that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—” Ephesians 4:14-15.
I didn’t know that Camping was clarifying his prediction. The article that Carrie linked to says that Camping insists his Saturday date was correct but that the event was wrong. Camping is now saying that our judgments have been sealed and that no one can obtain salvation from here on out. That is WRONG. God’s salvation is still available to anyone who asks! People need to be warned that Camping is teaching bad doctrine BUT it needs to be done in a loving manner.
Janet
As I’ve said, I agree that the truth of Scripture needs to be spoken, and clarified when it’s misused. But if we do it with contempt and scorn, we shoot ourselves in the foot.
Scripture is quite clear on the need to speak with “grace and truth” — to love as God loves. This doesn’t mean pretending false doctrine is true. But it does mean refusing to get dragged into a dialogue where both sides claim to speak in Christ’s name, but neither carries it well.
Janet
(…and by the way: amen, what Camping is saying IS wrong. Seriously wrong. That’s part of why I think it’s not something to make a joke of.)
Amy @ Hope Is the Word
I still agree, Janet, that there is a way to speak the truth in love. I still do not like the way this whole thing has been made light of so much in the Christian community. I have no problem at all with defending the truth, but I don’t think those who name the name of Christ should make jokes about those in error.
Dennis King
I agree that derision is certainly inappropriate and unChristlike, but critique is not. As a pastor, I have found it necessary to respond (hopefully not in the way described in your post) for two important reasons. First, the Christians — especially the newer Christians — in my congregation need to understand what Jesus said about “no one knowing the day or the hour” so they won’t be led astray by such date-setting. Second, the increasingly-strident skeptics and scoffers in our society need to know that Harold Camping is misrepresenting the Christian faith by his predictions. I don’t feel that I can afford to be silent, out of love for others.
One other note: if Harold Camping had lived during Old Testament times, he could have been stoned for being a false prophet. This must indicate the seriousness with which God treats those who make baseless predictions in His name. His reputation is at stake before a watching world.
Janet
Mr Camping’s errors are obvious enough to be dealt with in short order. That needed to be done, and it has been done. But a Christian response should have integrity all through, and the impression I’ve had is that the church has been so wrapped up in embarrassment and worry over being tarred with the same brush as Mr Camping that it’s gone into a kind of survival mode.
Do we really think the “skeptics and scoffers” are influenced by a debate such as this? Are they weighing Harold Camping’s predictions with a desire to determine the truth? Argument is not what wins the day. Love wins the day. It changes the terms of the debate from endless talk to demonstration of the life-changing power of God.
Heresy is always serious. The first centuries of Christianity were spent fending off attacks from those who misrepresented who Christ really was. But in the New Testament, I don’t see letters to the watching world. I see letters to the church exhorting it to stay on course in love and worship and grace and truth. It was the conviction and faith of believers that constituted the most powerful testimony of God’s truth and involvement.
Our public debate is the last place for the reality of faith to come to life. It’s a place where terms are reduced to the simplest and most strident. It’s a place where snarkiness wins points, and where casting your opponent in extreme terms is part of the game. It’s not a place where grace and truth have much meaning. If the church is reduced to defending itself in this forum, we’ve failed.
Carrie, Reading to Know
I still think this conversation is fascinating. =)
I also still disagree that we are not allowed to use humor or sarcasm to point out the flaws of Camping’s argument. But I think we’ll have to agree to disagree. (I think Jesus made plenty good use of harsh words and some snickering on the sidelines when dealing with the teachers of that day.)
I also don’t believe that Camping is as much a follower of Christ as he is somehow painted out as being. I looked up some of his beliefs and they run contrary to scripture for the most part. So I don’t feel as if I’m one Christian attacking another. Rather, I feel like we’re denouncing that which clearly needs to be denounced.
Carrie, Reading to Know
p.s. I’m actually glad you pointed out that article. Thanks!
Janet
We’re called to a higher standard, Carrie.
The more we learn about this man, the more damaging he seems to be. But I’ve never been interested in defending him. I’m defending honorable debate, and bearing the name of Christ in our conduct/speech as well as our “division of the Word of truth.” (One wonders if the latter is even possible without the former.)
Janet
I have to make one more comment to make. (I don’t feel like writing a whole new post.) It concerns the execution of false prophets in the Old Testament. I’ve seen that pointed out several times in different places, and I don’t see the relevance. This is one of any number of Old Testament injunctions that we don’t practice anymore. (Rebellious sons and adulterers were also executed. Occasionally whole people groups were — the Amalekites and their unfortunate animals, for example.) The New Testament takes a very different approach. I John reminds us that love is one of three marks that separates us from those who falsely profess to follow Christ. I don’t see anything that releases us from it in this case.
Of course I’m grieved at the impact Harold Camping’s teachings are having on individuals and on Christianity. His views run counter to some of the most plain teachings in Scripture. I’m not condoning his views.